Charles w



(No Model.)

0. W; HAIN. ATTACHMENT FOR TIME LOOKS.

Patented Dec. 29, 1891.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES \V. HAIN, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ISAIAHHAIN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ATTACHMENT FOR TIME-LOCKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 466,135, dated December29, 1891.

Application filed March 21, 1891.

To all whom, it may concern:

. Be it known that I, CHARLES W. HAIN,'a citizen of the United States,residing at Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Attachments forTime-Lock Safes, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to that class of safe attachments which aredesigned to be used in connection with safes having time-locks; and theobjects of my invention are to provide an attachment of this class soarranged and constructed as to admit of its being utilized to unlock thedoors of safes where the locks are controlled by a time-lock mechanismwhen from any cause said time-lock mechanism fails to be operative; toso construct said attachment as to admit of its working parts beingreadily and easily set in motion when desired, and to construct the samein a simple and reliable manner and without complication. These objectsI accomplish in the manner illustrated in the accompanying drawings,in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved attachment. Fig. 2 is aface view of the same in elevation, showing in connection therewith themode of releasing the locking-lug of a screw-door safe and Fig. 3 is anend view of my attachment.

Similarletters refer to similar parts th roughout the several views.

' a represents a rectangular housing or case similar in form to thatemployed for incasing a time lock mechanism, said case having mountedtherein in the usual manner the usual clock or watch mechanism.

(1, represents the top plate of the .case a, which, as shown, preferablyprojects slightly over the top of the case-body.

(2 represents a balance-wheel, which is supported upon'and carried bythe upper end of the usual balancewheel shaft 1), which proj ectsupwardly from the case a through the top plate a near one end of thelatter. The balance-wheel post or shaft is provided with the usualhair-spring b and imparts in the usual manner a reciprocating motion toan escapement b the pallets of which engage with the teeth of the usualescapement-wheel Serial No. 385,939- (No model.

11 which is also supported upon the upper and outer side of the case.

Secured to and projecting outwardly from each of two oppositely-locatedbalance-wheel studs 0 is a short metallic stop 0, which is preferablyformed of a thin strip of metal.

cl represents an arm or bar, which .is pivoted at one side of its centerto the under side of the higher portion of abridge-plate d, the lowerportion of which is secured to the plate a of the case at a point nearthe opposite end of the plate from that occupied by the balance-wheel.This arm d has its inner end provided with a projecting stop 0 whichcorresponds in form with the stops 0, with one of which it is normallyin engagement. The outer end of the arm d projects slightly over the endof the top plate a' and has its outwardly-projecting end portion forkedor bifurcated, as shown at d (1 represents a gravity-trigger, which, asshown, is of the bell-crank-lever form, and is pivoted at its vertex toone end of the case top plate a at a point (1 to one side of the centerof the width of said top plate. The upper and normally horizontal arm ofthis bell-crank trigger terminatesin an upward extension d which, asshown, is normally supported between the jaws or forks of the bifurcatedend of the horizontal arm d. The lower and normally vertical arm of thetrigger d is suitably weighted or enlarged, as shown at d. Theconnection of the triggerextension d with the forked end of the arm dserves to hold the stop projection in the inner end of the latter inengagement with the stop projection of the balance-wheel, and thusprevent the rotation of the'latter. This arm d, however, is subjected tothe pressure of the free end of a spring-strip (1 one end of which isfixed to the top plate a on one side of said arm, and which, when saidarm is released, as hereinafter described,will serve to press the latterout of the path of the balance-wheel stop projections .and against a 5stop-pin d which projects upwardly from the top plate a.

Through thefront face of the plate a, near the lower end thereof,projects, as shown, the

mainspriug-post e of the clock or watch mech- I00 anism which is withinsaid case. Upon this post a is mounted a pinion-wheel c, the teeth ofwhich, as shown, gear with the teeth of a larger gear-wheel f, which isjournaled upon a supporting shaft or pin j", which projects from theface of the case ct at a point above and in vertical alignment with thespringpost e. The gear-wheel f is provided on its rim with anoutwardly-projecting contactpin g.

g represents a trigger of bell-crank form, which is pivoted at itsvertex, as shown at to the face of the plate a at a point to one side ofthe pinion e. The upper arm of the trigger g is inclined slightly from ahorizontal position, as shown at 9 and extends in close proximity to andin front of the rim of the gear-wheel f within the path traversed by thepin g of the gear-wheelf. The lower and normally-vertical arm of thetrigger g extends, as shown, below the case a, and is re tained in itsvertical position by the pressure of the spring-strip 'i, which has oneof its ends fixed to the case a on one side of said triggerarm, and hasits free end pressing said trigger-arm against a fixed stop-pin 7?,which projects from the case on the opposite side of said arm.

As will be seen by the description of the operation of my device givenhereinafter, the operation of unlocking the safe-door is accomplishedthrough the movement of the trigger g, which is imparted thereto in themanner hereinafter described at the end of a certain measure of time. Asthis device is adapted to be used in connection with diiferent forms oflocks, it is obvious that the manner of unlocking a safe-door by themovement of said trigger must vary somewhat; but in case the mechanismherein shown is desired for use in connection with what is known as ascrew-door safe, I provide the lower end portion of the trigger g with asuitable notch, as indicated at g", with which normally engages theupper notched end of a vertical pin or pressure-bar 9 This pressure-barg has connected therewith or bearing upon the upper side of a suitablepin which projects from said bar, the free end of a spring-strip 9which, extending downwardly and outwardly from said pressure-bar, hasits remaining end rigidly secured to the safedoorway rim orreceiving-thread 9 This rim 9 is provided with a mortise 9 within theouter end of which the lower end of the pressure-bar normally projects.The slotted rim opening g is located directly opposite the usual pivotedlocking pawl or lug k, which in the class of safes mentioned serves byengagement with the shoulder of the door screw-thread k to prevent theopening of said door. This locking pawl or lug k is ordinarily supportedin its locking position by a spring-pressure, as indicated at and, as iswell known, is released from its engagement with the shoulder of thescrew-threads by the inward pull of the usual time-lock mechanism.

The manner of utilizing and operating my device is as follows: Thedevice herein shown and described is adadpted to be attached to theinner side of or to the frame-work on the inner side of a safe at anyconvenient point, it being preferably arranged above or at one side ofthe inner face of the door in case it is applied to a screw-door safe.The mainspring of the clock or watch mechanism within the case havingbeen wound or placed under tension by winding or turning the key-post ein the usual manner, and the usual time-lock mechanism failing from anycause to perform its office, the clock or watch mechanism is set inmotion by tipping the safe, which may be accomplished in any desiredmanner. The tipping of the safe will result in a swinging movement ofthe weighted trigger-arm d, which in turn will result in the withdrawalof the trigger-extension (Z from the forks of the arm (Z, and the latterbeing thus freed it will be seen that the pressure of the spring (Z willserve to drive said arm and its end stop from contact with the stop proections of the balance-wheel, and that the pin (Z will limit the lateralmovement of the arm. The balance-wheel being thus released, it isobserved that said balance-wheel and the mechanism within the case willbe at once set in motion. The movement of the internal clock mechanismwill operate to rotate the outer pinion c, which in turn will produce aslow rotary movement of the gear-wheel f. \Vhen the pin g of saidgear-wheel reaches the point of contact with the arm g of the trigger git is obvious that said arm will be pressed downward and a consequentoutward motion of the lower arm of said trigger will be produced.

In case the mechanism herein described is used in connection with ascrew-door safe, it is obvious that the movement of the trigger g willoperate to release from engagement therewith the pressure-bar g and thatthe latter through pressure of t the spring will be driven downwardagainst the locking-pawl 7t with suificient force to drive the latterfrom engagement with the thread-shoulders of the door, and thus unlockthe latter.

In case my device is employed in connection with other safe-lockingmechanisms, it is obvious that the movement of the trigger g may beutilized in conjunction with other simple means for throwing the lockingparts of the safe open.

It will readily be seen that the size of the gear-wheel f and the numberof teeth employed therein and the position of the pin 9 when themechanism is put in operation, as described, will regulate the timewhich will intervene between the tipping of the safe and the unlockingmovement. These parts are, however, preferably so constructed andarranged as to produce the unlocking movement within forty-eight hoursfrom the time of tipping the safe, although it is obvious that the partsmay be set for other measures of time.

IZO

From the construction shown and described it is obvious that a device ofthe nature described may be produced in a reliable and simple form, andthat the same will be of great utility in opening time-lock safes Wherethe ordinary time-lock mechanism employed has for any reason becomeinoperative.

Having now fully described my invention what I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an attachment for time-lock safes, the combination, with anordinary clock or Watch mechanism, the balance-Wheel, and one or morestop projections con said balance-Wheel, of the pivoted arm cl, normallyengaging at one end with one of said balance-Wheel stop projections, anda weighted bell-crank trigger (f, pivoted to the mechanism frame orcase, the upper end of the trigger detachably connected with the outerend of said arm, substantially as specified.

2. In an attachment for time-lock safes, the combination, with anordinary clock or watch mechanism, the balance-wheel thereof, stopprojections c on said balance-wheel, pivoted arm' (I, normally engagingat one end with one of said balance-wheel stop projections, and abell-crank trigger dipivoted, as described, to

the mechanism frame or case and having oneof its ends Weighted and itsremaining end detachably connected with the outer end of the arm d, of apinion 6 upon the Winding-post e, a pivoted gear-Wheel f, gearing withsaid pinion e, a pin g, projecting from said gearwheel, and a pivotedbell-crank trigger g, one arm of which normally projects Within the pathof the pin g, substantially as specified.

3. In an attachment fortime-lock safes, the combination, with the clockor watch mechanism, means for temporarily stopping the latter, apinion-wheel e upon the mainspringpost eof said clock mechanism, agear-Wheel f, gearing with said pinion, and acontact-pin g, projectingfrom said gear-wheel, of a pivoted trigger g, having one of its armsprojecting within the path of the pin g, substantially as specified.

CHARLES IV. HAIN. In presence of BARTON GRIFFITH,

O. O. SHEPHERD.

